Almansa

The production area of the Denomination of Origin "Almansa" is located in the east of the Albacete along the highway from Madrid to Alicante, bordering on the Alicante, Valencia and Murcia provinces. It includes eight townships: Almansa, Alpera, Bonete, Corral Rubio, Higueruela, Hoya Gonzalo, Pétrola and the El Villar de Chinchilla district, all of which belong to the Albacete province.
Viticulture in the region of Almansa probably dates back to the 16th century and has been developing ever since. This wine region has an altitude of approximately 700 m (2,297 feet). Its location to the far east of the Castile-La Mancha region brings it closer to the wine-growing regions of east coast than to Valdepeñas or La Mancha. 
The denomination of origin was established in 1975 and includes eight townships with a total area of 7,600 hectares (29 sq. mi.) of vineyards. The ground is made of limestone and contains little organic matter, with only few clayey areas. The climate in Almansa is less extreme than in La Mancha, but the summers are still hot with temperatures reaching easily up to 40ºC (104ºF). The average precipitation is just below 350 mm a year. 
Most vineyards are located on the plain, although at times some vines may be seen on the surrounding hill slopes.